Every great school is built on a commitment to continuous improvement. At St. Michaels University School, that commitment is tested and strengthened through our ongoing membership with the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS).
Established in 2009, CAIS is a national organization dedicated to excellence and accountability in independent education and currently there are close to 100 schools across the country under its umbrella. SMUS has been a proud member since its inception and was the first boarding school in Western Canada to be accredited. Since then, we have completed further accreditations in 2008 and 2018.
This year, we are poised to complete another accreditation process as CAIS visits our campus next week for the final stage of their review. Accreditation beyond a simple checklist. It is an in-depth examination of every aspect of school life, from teaching and learning to leadership, governance, student well-being, and community engagement. Every five years, CAIS schools must demonstrate evidence that they meet or exceed 12 national standards and dozens of indicators of effective practice.
The cycle begins with a year-long self-study. Throughout the 2024–25 academic year, faculty, staff, and students have taken part in an extensive self-study, reviewing how we measure up across all 12 standards. This has involved many hours of committee work and reflection on everything from our academic programming and co-curricular offerings to our approaches to leadership, sustainability, governance and the overall student experience.
Next week, we will welcome a visiting team of educators and school leaders from across Canada whose role is to validate our findings through classroom visits, focus groups, and discussions with students, staff, school leaders, and parents. They will then provide a detailed report for us recognizing areas of excellence and recommending where we can continue to grow.
Having external experts help us reflect on our practice is an important part of the process, and we look forward to hearing their feedback on our efforts.
This school improvement cycle embodies our ongoing commitment to the pursuit of excellence and it is the same spirit guiding our Floreat 2030 strategic plan, now at its midway review. As we reflect, learn, and plan ahead, we are excited to build upon the strong foundation that makes SMUS such a remarkable community and, at the same time, consider what opportunities for the future we might grasp.
